Wednesday had to be a difficult day for the Baltimore Orioles and their fans. In the midst of what could ultimately be one of the worst seasons in modern MLB history, Baltimore traded franchise stalwart Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a six-player deal.
Knowing for the past several weeks that the impending free agent would be moved doesn’t make this easier for Baltimore.
Over the course of his six-plus seasons with the Orioles, Machado grew from wide-eyed former first-round pick to one of the best overall players in the game.
The Orioles themselves recognized this, and provided Machado with a glowing tribute after the deal became official Wednesday evening.
Check it out in all of its glory.
#ThanksManny pic.twitter.com/CGOdRpvDZD
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 19, 2018
Needless to say, Orioles fans who responded to this tribute were full of emotion.
— laura🥀🐀 (@redheadlja) July 19, 2018
— maybe: julia (@jvIias) July 19, 2018
— Brooks Cockrell (@The_Broox) July 19, 2018
— Nicole Bankert (@kitchensuper) July 19, 2018
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, Machado made his big league debut in August of 2012 and never looked back.
He posted a .283 average with 162 homers and 471 RBI while earning four All-Star Game appearances and finishing in the top 10 in AL MVP voting four times.
Certainly, Manny will be missed at Camden.